Happy Birthday to Me!

Today I turn another year older and another day wiser - I think wisdom probably comes a bit slower than age does! 

Aren't birthdays wonderful opportunities for looking back, as well as looking forward?  

The other day I was looking through some envelopes and folders on a shelf and came across two very old photos.  

This one was taken when I was somewhere in my 20's, not sure exactly when though.  Check out that bush hair-do!

This one was taken on my 30th birthday. 

I remember it was Superbowl Sunday and Tessie, my best friend at the time, invited me over for dinner.  She made me a cake and I was touched because it was the first time EVER that I'd had a birthday cake!

I had a cousin (Delt McKenzie) who played for the Philadelphia Eagles.  And even though they made it to the Superbowl that year, I had no interest at all in the game - never have, probably never will!

But best of all I have the precious Birthday Dollar to look at and remember all the good times I had with my two sisters who passed away since we started exchanging it.  You can read about the full history of the Birthday Dollar on this post.

We had a little scare this time though:  Michelle mailed it from the Post Office on Wednesday, January 17 - I should have received it no later than Friday the 19th but I didn't!  It finally came on the 23rd, we don't know what held it up but we were both crossing our fingers!  When I send it on to Shell next month, I'm sending it registered mail - this birthday tradition is way too precious to stop now.  The Birthday Dollar can never be replaced.

Have a great Thursday, find something to celebrate today, sew forth and sew on ...

Good things

Three things to be happy about:
(1) blue butterflies
(2) retractable pencils
(3) bread pudding

I made a bread pudding for dinner yesterday that was spot on!  I like to make mine with half regular bread and half raisin - or leftover raisin bagels. No nuts, no gourmet sauce, nothing special - just plain ole bread pudding like mama used to make!  Come to think of it, mama used leftover biscuits.

Whatever.

Another part of my dinner included these delicious, creamy mashed potatoes!

When we were at Disney World last June, grocery shopping at the Walmart, my sister picked up these Ore Ida potatoes.  They were quick and easy to prepare, and they really were very good.

So ... when I saw them at the Giant yesterday I picked up a bag on impulse.

The entire package of potatoes was too much to fix at once, so these Ziploc Zip 'n Steam bags came in handy.

Easy to use - just load the bag, microwave it, stir and serve!

Meanwhile...

I'm still sewing away at the EP bits and pieces!

Sashing units and green/yellow/neutral units are being pieced along with the main 15" blocks.

And last but not least, one more good thing - I got "The Birthday Dollar" on Friday!!

If you've read my blog for awhile you might know that this dollar has been passed between my sisters and me for years and years.  My birthday isn't until January 25, but The Dollar comes to the birthday girl on her birthday, she signs it and passes it to the next person on her birthday.  But not without drama!  You can read a more detailed story about The Birthday Dollar in this post.

That's it for now, have a great Monday, sew forth and sew on til later...

Happy birthday to me!

Three things to be happy about:
(1) Longaberger baskets
(2) hot coffee
(3) animals playing in the snow

Today is my birthday, I've reach the ripe ole age of 65 - yes!  That means three significant things to me - (1) I'm eligible for a reduction in my DC property taxes - 50%!
(2) I can get the "senior citizen" rate when booking flights, and the most important thing
(3) I got the Birthday Dollar!

This birthday dollar is very important to me, you can read the full story on this post

Yesterday was a snow clean-up party kind of day in my neighborhood!  Some cars got dug out...

and another dig-out of the sidewalks

someone had music playing, you could hear it for a long way... and notice the beer cooling in the snow at the bottom right of this picture!  I like that kind of neighborhood comeraderie!

I didn't participate in the shoveling, but I hung out at my neighbor's for awhile and enjoyed a delicious bowl of 18 bean soup.  I took over some of my quilts for an impromptu show-n-tell, and saw this super cute quilt that 3-month-old Colin's grandmother made for him...

so cute!  She's a self-taught quilter who made her first quilt when she had her first grandchild - three years ago!

Yesterday was a no-sew day for me, just a hang out and watch Netflix kind of day.  Sew forth and sew on til later...